As a life long Tennessee Democrat, I will not being voting for a Senator in the Ford-Coker race. I do want the Democrats to take the Senate and understand the argument to vote for the “best of the worst”.
I do not have to agree with a candidate on all issues. There has to be room for compromise. But, in Harold Ford Jr.’s case, he is at odds with me on some many key issues that I must draw the line and not support him.

1. He not only voted for the invasion of Iraq, he openly joined with Trent Lott and others in a letter to Congress in December 2001 advocating the removal of Saddam. This letter was well before the Bush propaganda machine started its WMD spin to justify the war. He voted for the war. And continued to support Bush and the war despite the evidence that the Bush administration “cooked the books” in order to promote the war and that there was no evidence of WMD or an al Qaeda link.

His only criticism is the way the second phase of the invasion was handled. He has yet to acknowledge that the war was not supported by any evidence of WMD.

3. He voted for the US Patriots Acts I & II as well as their extension. He even boasted that he didn’t think the Acts were tough enough.

4. He supports prayer in public school and the Ten Commandments and religion in government.

5. He supports an amendment to restrict free speech and banning the burning of the Flag.

6. He opposes same sex marriage.

7. He opposes abortion.

8. He supports drilling in Anwar and voted to gut the Endangered Species Bill.

9. He voted for the Federal Government to intervene in the Terry Schiavo case.

10. He voted for a bankruptcy bill favored by the credit/banking industry, despite the fact that his district, the 9th, has one of the highest bankruptcy rates in the Nation. The credit/banking industry is one of his major financial supporters.

11. He refuses to support the Democratic candidate, Steve Cohen, for the 9th Congressional seat. His brother, Jake Ford, is running as an independent for the same seat. HF Jr. refuses to denounce the concept that this seat should be for blacks only and that a white man has no right to run much less be elected to the 9th District. He also refuses to denounce his brother continuing to accuse Mr. Cohen of being a homosexual (which in fact he is not although it shouldn’t matter if he were)

Many may disagree with my refusal to vote for HF Jr. believing that it is more important for the Democrats to take the Senate. I am troubled by this as well, but I disagree so fundamentally with Mr. Ford’s key position and I will not vote for him (or Corker).

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